Urdu Dictionary Board (Formerly
Urdu Development Board) was established in 1958. It was created through a
Resolution of the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, dated 14th of June,
1958, which stated that Urdu Development Board would compile and publish a
comprehensive dictionary of Urdu on historical principles, on the pattern of
Greater Oxford Dictionary. The Board was also asked to undertake a number of
other tasks for the development of Urdu.
Founded by Baba-e-Urdu Maulvi
Abdul Haq who was the first Chief Editor of the organization, it was honored
over the years by close and active association of great scholars and
litterateurs of their times such as Josh Malihabadi, Begum Shaista Ikramullah,
Dr. Abdul Lais Siddiqui, Mr. Mumtaz Hasan (Governor State Bank of Pakistan);
Shaukat Subzwari, Dr. G. Allana and many others. One of the oldest scholarly
institutions of Pakistan, it has a prestige that has no rival.
UDB has a library comprising of
rare books and manuscripts, a large number of which was rescued and brought to
Karachi in trunks by Maulvi Abdul Haq from the office of
Anjuman-e-Taraqui-e-Urdu in Delhi after it was ransacked in communal riots in
1947.
Through a Resolution of Ministry
of Education dated 27th of March, 1982 the Board was re-named as Urdu
Dictionary Board and was assigned the task of compiling and publishing a
comprehensive dictionary of Urdu keeping in view the standard of Greater Oxford
Dictionary. It was also given the task of preparing an abridged /concise
Edition as well as other dictionaries of technical & scientific terms. The
Board was asked to perform such other functions too, as assigned to it by the
Government from time to time.
In 1986 another Resolution dated
31st March 1986, was passed by the Ministry of Education but the main function
of the Board remained almost unchanged and it continued preparing and
publishing the Lughat as its main task.
Federal Education Minister
governs the affairs of the Board while the Chief Editor supervises working of
the Board. The Chief Editor who has all the administrative and financial
powers.
Urdu Dictionary Board was
declared Sub-Ordinate office of the Ministry of Education, Government of
Pakistan in November 2007. After the devolution of Ministry of Education, Urdu
Dictionary Board was placed under control of the Cabinet Division, Government
of Pakistan after that it became the sub-ordinate office of Ministry of
Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, and w.e.f. 5th January 2016 it
is working under National History and Literary Heritage Division, Ministry of
IB & NH, Government of Pakistan.
The basic objective of the
organization has been to prepare dictionaries. This entity has prepared Greater
Urdu Lughat (from volume 1 to 22) comprising 22000 pages and 264000 entries at
the pattern of Greater Oxford Dictionary. This greater Lughat was completed in
2010 after the great efforts of 52 years.
Because of this greater Lughat,
Urdu has been accepted the third language of the world who has made dictionary
at philological principle. Before this, same nature of work has been done by
United Kingdom and Germany.
Recently Urdu Dictionary Board
has completed a project regarding "Computerization of Urdu Dictionary,
Software Development for Mobile Phone, Web Hosting and establishment of Server
Room" in this project Urdu Dictionary Board has computerized (volume No.1
to 22) that are available at website www.udb.gov.pk moreover mobile apps are
also available to get utility from this greater dictionary.
After completion of greater Lughat,
Urdu Dictionary Board Karachi has been preparing concise and children's
dictionaries, these dictionaries are going to be completed soon and it will be
ready for publication.
On 60th Anniversary of Urdu Dictionary Board, the commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on June 14, 2018.
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